Tipperary GAA Scene

FBD Insurance County Championships

There are three county finals down for decision next weekend with Grangemockler/Ballyneale playing Upperchurch/Drombane in the Junior ‘A’ hurling final on Saturday in Golden at 2.30pm.

On Sunday, the finals of the Premier Intermediate and Senior hurling championships will take place in FBD Semple Stadium. The Premier Intermediate game between Gortnahoe/Glengoole and Roscrea throws in at 2.15pm, while the senior hurling final will have a 4.30pm throw-in.

Tickets for all games can be pre-purchased online via the ticket section of the Tipperary GAA website. There will also be a special weekend pass which will entitle the purchaser to attend all games in the next weekend for €20 for adults and €15 for students. This special weekend pass is only available online and weekend passes will not be on sale at any of the venues.

New CEO for Tipperary GAA

Friday October 14th was a unique day for Tipperary GAA with the announcement that Murtagh Brennan will become the counties new CEO, succeeding Tim Floyd who steps down as county secretary at the end of the year.

From Castleiney, Murtagh has spent over twenty years serving his country, both at home and overseas, as an officer in the Defence Forces.

Sports has been a constant and central theme throughout Murtagh’s professional and sporting life. As a player, he competed at all levels for his club Loughmore-Castleiney in both football and hurling, as well as playing third level GAA with University Limerick.

Murtagh’s participation in training Defence Forces teams and athletes at participant and elite levels across a myriad of disciplines further proves that his life is immersed in sport, most particularly GAA.

He has managed and coached teams at all grades at club level and in the Defence Forces. He has fulfilled the role of both Coach and S&C trainer with the Westmeath minor footballers, Rathcoffey senior football team in Kildare and Castledaly in Westmeath. Murtagh’s most notable achievement was his involvement as coach and S&C trainer for the Loughmore-Castleiney senior football and hurling teams in 2020 & 2021, which culminated in an historic double county final win.

With Murtagh’s long involvement in GAA along with the expertise and experience he has gained through his role with the defence forces along with his other various academic qualifications, his appointment can be seen as a very positive one for Tipperary GAA and we wish him the very best of good luck in the role.

Jubilee teams

As has been the custom on County Final day for many years, Tipperary GAA honour a County Final winning team of the past and at last Sunday’s senior football final in FBD Semple Stadium, it was the turn of the Moyle Rovers players of 1995 & 1996. Congratulations to the club and all involved in making the day a memorable one for a group of great players who brought great glory back to the parish of Powerstown and Lisronagh.

Next Sunday, it will be the Nenagh Eire Og senior hurling winning team of 1995 who will be honoured.

Tipperary Clubs Draw

The October clubs draw was held in The Clough Inn, Cloughjordan last Friday in front of a big crowd of both locals and regular draw attendees. The big winners were Rosegreen’s John McGrath and Catherine Gooley who won the star prize of a Citroen c3 car or €15,000 as well as 200 prize bonds. The second prize of €500 plus 100 prize bonds went to Sinead Pearl of Lattin Cullen, while Owen Egan who is a member with Thurles Sarsfields won €200 plus 100 prize bonds. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you once again for your continued support of the Tipperary Clubs Draw.

2023 Munster Championships

The draw for the 2023 Munster Senior Football Championship took place last Saturday and David Powers Tipperary will play Waterford in a quarter final, likely to be at home, with the winner playing All Ireland champions Kerry in the Munster semi-final.

The fixtures for the senior hurling championship have also been finalised and Tipperary will have two away games against Clare in round 1 and Cork in round 3 before welcoming current All Ireland champions Limerick to FBD Semple Stadium in round 4. Tipperary’s final game in the league section of the championship will also be at home to Waterford in round 5.

TUS Dr Harty Cup

Nenagh CBS 2-15 De La Salle College Waterford 1-18

Nenagh CBS and Waterford’s De La Salle College played out a thrilling finale to their Harty Cup opener in Cashel, with both sides coming away somewhere between delighted and disappointed to end with a draw.

Tipperary minor All-Ireland winner Darragh McCarthy led the scoring with 2-7 (0-7 frees). His first goal helped Nenagh into a 1-7 to 0-8 half-time lead and his second pushed them 2-12 to 0-12 clear, with Kieran Grace adding three points to their total.

Jack Twomey’s accuracy from frees had kept De La Salle in the game (he ended with 0-10). By the hour, that lead had vanished. From an indirect free, De La Salle played the ball into the danger area, where it was popped to Rory Wymberry to strike the levelling goal. De La Salle pushed on, Conor Tobin with his second point and another from Hartley had them looking likely winners. Nenagh dug in, though, with points from Ciaran Foley (free) and Adam Hall cancelling out that lead. Twomey, with his first score from play, put De La Salle ahead again but substitute Filip McIntyre came up with the equaliser.

Our Lady’s SS Templemore 1-29 Pobal Scoil na Trionoide Youghal 1-14

Our Lady’s Templemore got off to a winning start with a comprehensive victory over Pobal Scoil na Trionoide, Youghal in Cahir.

Templemore led from pillar to post against a Youghal side who hauled themselves back within range with a Conor Galvin goal approaching half-time but, in the next play, Daniel McAllister struck a goal for Our Lady’s to help establish a 1-13 to 1-7 lead at the break.

Templemore capitalised on their dominance around the middle third to pull away in the final quarter. Tipp minors Jamie Ormond and Paddy Phelan kept the scoreboard working, while Tom Corcoran also impressed.

Thurles CBS 3-20 St Francis College Rochestown 2-9

Thurles CBS got their Harty Cup campaign off to a flying start thanks to a dominant display against St Francis College, Rochestown.

Thurles midfielder Tommy Maher was to the fore from start to finish, his two points from play and ability to deliver scores from placed balls kept his side ticking over throughout. Scores from Robbie Stapleton, Maher, Robbie Ryan, and an Aidan Stakelum goal pushed Thurles into a 1-8 to 0-2 lead by the quarter-hour. Stapleton goaled a minute later for Thurles who led 2-14 to 1-5 at the break.

A well-taken 37th minute goal from full-forward and All-Ireland minor medallist Jimmie Lahart ended the game as a contest. Hard-working Roco corner-forward Evan O’Connor raised a green flag midway through the second half, but it mattered little.

Cashel CS 5-12 St Flannan’s College Ennis 2-20

Four second half goals from Ben Currivan helped Cashel Community School open their Harty Cup campaign with victory over St Flannan’s College in Cappamore.

It was a tight game from the off with the sides level seven times in the first half but David McGrath’s goal deep into injury time saw Cashel lead 1-7 to 0-8 at the break.

McGrath opened the second half scoring before Currivan bagged his first goal after Flannan’s failed to clear a Ronan Connolly free. The Clare school responded with three points on the trot before a stunning move ended in substitute Dara Keane Hayes firing a shot into the net to level the game for an eighth time. Flannan’s then went three clear thanks to two Whelan frees and a beauty from play courtesy of James Organ.

Currivan and Cashel were not to be denied, though, with the Golden-Kilfeacle clubman finding the net twice in the space of as many minutes to grab his hat-trick. Flannan’s were soon back on level terms when Whelan’s free from his own ’65 found its way to the Cashel net. However, six seconds later Cashel were at the other end of the pitch and again it was Currivan raising the green flag to put his side 5-10 to 2-16 ahead.

From there Cashel were able to navigate the final ten minutes to earn victory by the narrowest of margins.

Scór na Mumhan

Tipperary led the way in 2022 Munster Scór Sinsear Final in Cappamore last Sunday with no less than four Munster titles returning to the Premier County. A tremendous night's entertainment greeted those present with the standard of competition incredibly high.

We extend our warmest congratulations to our Figure Dancers from Newcastle, Noel Joyce of JK Brackens who collected the Aithriseoireacht trophy, Newport who were crowned Ballad Group champions and finally to Newport again who won provincial honours in the Nuachleas competition.

Commiserations to the Moyne-Templetuohy Quiz Team who lost by the narrowest of margins in the table quiz. Commiserations to Siobhan Egan who was narrowly defeated in Solo Signing and to the Newport Traditional Music group who were also defeated.

Coiste Scór Thiobraid Árann want to thank all of our wonderful competitors for their time and commitment and to wish our four winning acts all the best in the All-Ireland Final on Saturday, November 12th in Castlebar. Follow us on Facebook for all photos and information!

TIPPERARY YEARBOOK

The 2023 Tipperary GAA Yearbook is being compiled at present and the Yearbook committee is seeking articles and information for inclusion. If you have something you would like included, you need to have it submitted by the end of October.

Clubs that have accomplished any unique achievement in 2022 are requested to send through an appropriate article for inclusion. Similarly, it is most important that clubs record and document any charity or fundraising events they undertook. These events epitomize the heart and soul of the GAA in every parish and their community across the Premier County.

The Yearbook Committee are looking to all clubs to submit any obituaries of their deceased members in the last twelve months. The maximum number of words for an obituary is 150 and please include the club’s name and the years also, e.g., 1939-2021, as well as his/her G.A.A. achievements and a photograph of the deceased person.

E-mail information and photographs which must be named to Tipperary Yearbook Committee at yearbook.tipperary@gaa.ie

Tipperary GAA Scene

If there is anything you feel should feature in this column, email: pro.tipperary@gaa.ie